The Legend of Ashitaka
by AnonymousGX
Summary: Link knew he should have left for Hyrule earlier. Now that he returned, the land was warped beyond recognition. What happened? How will he get back?


**Again, if I owned anything or wanted to make money out of my writings, I wouldn't do it on this site.**

**Anybody speak Japanese and write Romaji? I'll need confimation/clarity. For this chapter, I used a machine translation.**

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><p>It was a grand sunset in Clock Town. It had been ten years since the moon almost fell. Ten years since the young boy in green saved their town. The town was celebrating this anniversary with a fervor. Game costs were down, and decorations galore were up. A statue now stood where they used to erect a tower, silhouetted perfectly in the descending sun. It was of the boy known as the Hero of Carnival. Looking up at the statue was a young man, wearing clothing similar to the statue's. He had scarcely entered from the South entrance to the town, and was admiring the Clock Tower. He knew its purpose in the new Carnival tradition, and was there to complete the performance. That midnight, he was to climb to the top of the Clock Tower and reenact his confrontation of the Skull Kid and battle with Majora, with the help of some actors.<p>

This year, unlike those before, he wasn't looking forward to the festival. The words of the Happy Mask Salesman still rang in his ears, ten years after the crazy guy left for Hyrule. "Shouldn't you be returning home as well?" He hadn't listened, and stayed with Romani at her ranch. She was now in charge of the whole ranch, and doing a splendid job at it with the help of her older sister.

But he now had a feeling of dread. He was gone too long from Hyrule, and felt that something was wrong in his homeland. He knew, deep down in his heart, that tonight was his last performance. After tonight, he was returning home.

Hours later, midnight chimed. While waiting half an hour for the crowd to be seated, Link also waited for the other actors. Soon enough, his 'little self' came, ready to play an Ocarina. He was followed by four men dressed all in red; the giants, ready to catch a paper moon. Then came a puppeteer; ready to pull the strings on Majora and the moon. Finally, showing up late with the Bomber Brigade, the Skull Kid came to play as himself. Ever since Majora left the Skull Kid, he was accepted back into Clock Town, and had made many friends. A few minutes after the Bomber Brigade cheerfully wished him and Link good luck, it was time to put on the play. While the play may remind the Skull Kid of bad times, his participation in the play actually seemed to give him a better standing with the people, reminding them that he wasn't fully responsible for what happened.

First, the Skull Kid went up, bragging about the tricks he played, and made a few kids in the audience laugh. He then announced his plan to drop the moon. The puppeteer then mounted the large paper moon on a huge pole, ready to 'drop'. Little Link then came out, queuing Skull Kid's second monologue. Little Link then played the Ocarina; the Song of the Giants. It was in another key so that they wouldn't get called accidentally. The four men in red came out and caught the moon. Disappointed that his plan failed, the puppeteer switched from the caught moon to the mask Skull Kid was wearing, playing the part of Majora. He then challenged Little Link on the platform, ready for the battle. Then Little Link pulled out his own mask and put it on.

That was Link's queue. When he was younger, an adult played this character. But ever since he turned 17, he was able to do the part of Fierce Deity Link. The Little Link quickly ran down the stairs, and Link came up, audience cheering. The swings of his false sword, timed with a button on the hilt, released streamers of energy which weakened the flying mask. The puppeteer then placed Majora's replica on his chest, becoming the second, then the third form of the battle. Each time, Link beat him with ease, but took a few hits to make the fight seem more intense.

With Majora defeated, the crowd broke into cheers and the fireworks began. After some Chateau Romani was passed around, the party animals soon left for their abodes, hoping to get an hour of sleep before sunrise.

When Link arrived home, Romani was waiting for him, a sad expression on her face. "Today's the day you leave, isn't it?" Shocked at how she knew, he could only nod. "I thought you would. You've been returning to the temples on your many trips, haven't you? You were returning all the items and masks, in case a tested warrior is needed in the future." Link nodded again; that indeed was his plan. All he had left now were some bottles with various potions and a fairy, a strong handmade bow with some arrows, his Hylian shield, the Gilded Sword, and the Fierce Deity Mask since it was too dark and dangerous to leave behind.

Romani then approached Link, just inches away from him. "Ever since I met you, I knew you were different. You didn't know anything about Termina. And your instrument, it was clearly from another land. Can I come with you? I always wanted to see what it was like, outside of this land!" she asked, pleading. Link could do nothing but shake his head. "I see... someone has to take care of this ranch. I was looking forward to it, hoping we could run this ranch together. But now, you're leaving. For your home, and the girl who gave you that ocarina. I wish you could stay," she told him, tears forming in her eyes.

Wishing to comfort his old friend, Link gave her a gentle hug. They embraced, like sister and brother, for a whole minute, him letting her cry her heart out. He too cried a little, regretful that he'd have to leave his closest friend from this world.

When they released each other, Romani handed him a bottle. "Link, takes this. It's Chateau Romani, the best I made this year. Take it with you, to remember me. Promise you wont forget?" Link nodded and raised his hand, making it a vow. He then turned around to leave, only barely catching her last words: "Thank you, Grasshopper..."

Back to Clock town he went, astride Epona. The duo entered the southern door to the Clock Tower, a place he hadn't visited since the Happy Mask Salesman left. Many steps down, and many pillars of earth across, lay the way back to Hyrule. Slowly he went, cautious so he wouldn't fall, and afraid that his feelings of dread were true.

Once he got outside, he knew he was right. Since it was raining, he decided to slip his ears into his hat. But even with the clouds, he could see for miles around. The forest had changed. There were new trees, new grass, even new hills and mountains. The Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods he had known for so long were no more. His time in Termina was ten years, but for Hyrule more time seemed to have passed. But how many years, exactly? Was the change natural, or was the land recovering from a massive attack by Ganon? Afraid for what happened to Zelda, Link decided to head towards where Hyrule Castle used to stand. Even if Zelda was no longer there, her descendants may be able to help him.

Along the way, he saw some little white beings. At first afraid they were dangerous enemies, Link soon saw they were merely curious, and their rattles a way of communication. One, however, looked at him almost crossly. Then, far in the distance, he saw an interesting group of men and a mount, in procession with many more of these white beings. The mount was like an over sized, muscular, brownish-red deer with spiral horns going straight up. Upon it was a man, his hair tied back in a short ponytail, wearing a blue tunic, and had a green sling around his splinted right arm. Another man was injured; wearing a brown tunic, and had a bandaged head and splinted left arm.

The second man was carried by one garbed like a warrior. He wore a red hood with two white stripes, a blue tunic, khaki pants, grayish moccasins, dark blue gloves and socks, a bow across his back, and a sword at his waist. This man reminded Link a lot of himself; he was garbed in a similar manner as this young man and they were about the same age. But the weird thing about these people were their ears. The two men whose ears he could see had them shorter and with a rounded tip.

The warrior saw him, and waved a hand in greeting, carefully so he would not drop the wounded man he was carrying. "Saa Konnichiha. Sore ha notte iru bakkin no umadesu. Kodama shite iru anata no tsu no uchi modesu ka?" he said, a smile on his face. But it wasn't the familiar language Hyrule and Termina used. Did Link get sent to another world instead of Hyrule? "Baai ha sanka suru koto ga deki masu. Watashiha jibun no kokixyouni sorera wo totte i masu," the man said, seeming to gesture both to get him to follow and towards their path.

Link got the basic message and joined them. Seeing how tired the warrior was, Link took the injured man from his back and placed him in front of himself on Epona. Together, they were a little heavy for Epona, but she could make it as long as they didn't have to run. Grateful for the help, the blue warrior led on.

"Hora mi te! Udeha mohaya ga itai! Sore ga chiyu suru hitsuouga ari masu!" The man on the deer said, lifting his splinted arm out of his sling. He winced, however, and quickly put it back in. "ITAI! Iya mada iyasa re nai! Sore ha mada koware te iru!"

But Link was wondering about this place he came to. If this was Hyrule, he needed to know what happened. How long was he gone? What changed the land so much? But if it wasn't, he was determined to help as much as he could before searching for his home. There was evidence that this was Hyrule, if only slight. Link thought he recognized the bite marks of the large White Wolfos on the unconscious man riding with him, and if so, he hoped to help the round-ears with the threat.

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><p><strong>Does anybody speakwrite Japanese Romaji? If so, can you help with this fic?**

**AnonymousGX**


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